The Beloved Wild

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Description

Harriet Winter is the eldest daughter in a farming family in New Hampshire, 1807. Her neighbor is Daniel Long, who runs his family's farm on his own after the death of his parents. Harriet's mother sees Daniel as a good match, but Harriet isn't so sure she wants someone else to choose her path-in love and in life. When her brother decides to strike out for the Genesee Valley in western New York, Harriet decides to go with him-disguised as a boy. Their journey includes sickness, uninvited guests, and difficult emotional terrain as Harriet comes of age, realizes what she wants, and accepts who she's loved all along.

Reviews

"A page-turning, delightful debut with equal parts historical adventure and romance." - Ruta Sepetys, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Salt to the Sea

A 2019 Amelia Bloomer Project List Selected Title

"Harriet Submit Winter has no intention of living up to her name and marrying her boring neighbor Daniel Long to meet expectations of gender norms set up in pioneer times. Instead, she disguises herself as Freddy, a boy, and leaves the family farm in New Hampshire with her brother Gideon to forge a new life in the wilderness of western New York. Ostrom effectively contextualizes the discussion of societal limitations imposed upon women within the story's well-drawn historical setting."--Publishers Weekly

"Reminiscent of the works by Laura Ingalls Wilder, this charming novel is an enjoyable reflection on women's roles, romance, and the power of choice."--School Library Journal

"Ostrom presents a rich, believable novel with a classic feel. ...This is a great recommendation for fans of gutsy female characters like Jo March and Jane Eyre.--VOYA

"The warm romance and witty banter between the well-wrought characters should please plenty of teen readers ...." -- Booklist

Author Bio

Melissa Ostrom teaches English at Genesee Community College in Batavia, New York. Her short fiction has been published in several literary magazines. The Beloved Wild is her YA debut. She lives in western New York with her family.